Two weeks ago I flew to Queensland to meet Mark Cartner from Walkabout training. Mark had offered to host me as part of my social work placement with the Outdoor Therapy Centre - and I was in for a treat! Mark runs a fantastic program with young people in year 10 from Bundaberg North High School. Over the school year he works with the students, training them in the outdoor skills necessary to gain a certificate II in outdoor recreation. As part of their training, Mark takes the students on three journeys, one in Cooloola National Park, one to the Gold Coast, and this mid-winter trip to Cape York. We set off in two minibuses, trailers filled with food, swags, and firewood. Two and a half full days of driving later (Queensland is a BIG place) we arrived in Elim Beach, an hour north of Cooktown. We spent two days learning about the Indigenous history of the area (thanks Willie Gordon), Cooktown’s colonial history (thanks Cooktown museum), and cooling off in some amazing (croc-free) swimming holes. There were campfires, delicious shared meals, great conversations, and plenty of time to kick the footy or enjoy a hot choccy.
Next we stayed at Crocodile Station near Laura. The boys caught some barramundi, which was delicious cooked up on the barbie. We saw some world class rock art at the Quinkan gallery, met the cattle that were brought in for the muster, and the students worked on their TAFE units. Mark’s program is based on his decades-long experience in the Queensland Police Service as a child abuse detective. On the long drive, I got to pick his brain about what makes his program and the outdoors therapeutic, the importance of developing self-esteem in young people, and the need to role model healthy adult relationships and functioning for young people. Mark’s program facilitates all this for young people with fantastic results. As a student, this experience really highlighted the unique capacity of the outdoors to build confidence in young people, as well as reminding me how important it is to invite young people into healthy and safe communities that have clear boundaries on longer expedition and residential programs. Huge thanks from me to Mark for having me onboard for this experience. You can learn more about Mark and his incredible work through his website. Written by Josh Heins
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August 2024
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